Samuel c



(No Model.)

S. C. ARNOLD.

AIR VALVE.-

No. 597,666. Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

fff/ 1 mms mtas oo. moruumc.. msmmvow n c UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

SAMUEL C. ARNOLD, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONALSPECIALTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAlriE PLACE.

v AIR-VALVE.

SPEGIFIGATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,666, dated January18, 1898.

Application led April 22,1897. Serial No. 633,256. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t 12v/ay concern.:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. ARN-OLD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain neuT and useful Improvements inAir-Valves; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the ,accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in air-valves for use in connectionwith steam or hot-Water radiators or in any other relation `Where adevice of this character is needed.

My improvements Will be described with reference to the use of thedevice with a steam-radiator, though, as before stated, it must beunderstood that the construction is equally applicable to hot-waterradiators.

The construction set forth in this application may be considered animprovement on that shown and described in application, Serial No.612,109, iiled November ,14, 1896. The improvements relate to the floator valve, and consist in forming an air-tight chamber in saidfloat-valve, whereby the latter is compelled to float or rise upward inthe shell and close the air-exit, thus preventing the escape of thewater as the latter rises in the shell. Hence in my improvedconstruction a positive air-chamber is always maintained in the This entinvention is to overcome this diiiiculty, and to this end I providethefloat-valve with -an air-tight diaphragm, thus forming a positiveair-chamber above the diaphragm, which shuts out the Water under allcircumstances.

` 6 leading from a valve-seat 6c.

Hence the main feature of my present invention consists in providing thevalve-iioat with a positive or hermetically-sealed air-chamber, 5 5 ascontradistinguished from the open theoretical air chamber of the oldconstruction. There is also another feature introduced in my improvedconstruction-namely, the top of the air-chamber is formed curved orsloping to'prevent the lodgment of Water thereon. lf the top of thisair-chamber is formed horizontal, as shown in the aforesaid application,a little Water is liable to remain thereon after the Water has settledbelow the same, and this Water slightly increases the Weight of thefloat-valve and to that extent interferes with its proper action.Hence'the advantage of this feature in my improved construction.

The invention Will noWbe described in detail, reference being made tothe accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodimentthereof.

` In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section takenthrough an air-valve providedwith my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detailview of the valve or float, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a combinationview of the float, the right half being shown in plan, While the lefthalf is an underneath view.

Similar reference-characters indicating corresponding parts in theseviews, let the "numeral 5 designate a cylindrical shell nearly closed atthe top, where it is provided with a short vertical neck 5P, interiorlythreaded to receive a screw-plug 6, having an air-passage This screwplugis provided with a shoulder, which engages the neck of the shell. Abovethis shoulder the plug is exteriorly threaded to receive a cap 7, whichis screwed thereon. This cap is provided with a small aperture 7. Thelower end of the shell is open and threaded to screw into a flange S,formed on the base 8. The shell 5 forms the valve-chamber. Outside ofthe shell 5 is located a casing 9 of corresponding shape, its upperextremity being contracted to engage the neck of the shell. The lowerextremity of the cap 7 engages this casing, Whose bottom or lowerportion is interiorly threaded and screwed upon the iiange 8, Which iseXteriorly threaded for the purpose. Between the shell and this exteriorcasing is an air-space l0. This casing, to-

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gether with the shell, thoroughly insulates the valve and protects itfrom injurious exterior influences.

The base-piece 8 is provided with a projection 8C, threaded to screwinto the radiator. (Not shown.) This base-piece is also provided withthepassages 8d and Sg, Which connect the interior of the shell with theradiator. Projecting from the upper surface of the base into thevalve-chamber are two cylindrical parts 8h and Si, concentricallyarranged, the part Sh bein g exteriorly located and the shorter of thetwo cylindrical parts. The part Si com municates with the passageSg inthe base, while the part Sh communicates with the passage 8d. The outercylindrical part Sh forms a partition between the part Si and the shell5, separating the lower part of the valvechamber into two .liquid-chambers. The outer part 8h is provided with au orifice Sm, located nearthe base thereof. This oriice connects the annular space between the twoparts 8h and 8J' with the space between the shell 5 and the part 8h.

Located within the valve-chamber or the shell 5 is a float-valve 12,which consists of two concentric cylindrical parts 12a and 12, connectedby the sloping or exterior convex part 12g and the diaphragm 125, thelatter being located a suitable distance below the part 12g. Thislast-named part closes the upper extremity of the part 12a. .Between thepart 12g and the diaphragm 12s is the hermeticallysealed air-chamber12-,which forms, as before stated, the essential feature of my improvedinvention. i

The part 12C of the iioat-valve projects above the roof 12g of theair-chamber, its upper extremity being closed, except as hereinafterstated. The upper extremity of this part 12c is provided With the valveproper, 12, which is adapted to engage the valve-seat 6 and closes thepassage 6 in the plug 6 When the oat rises. The part 12C is'providedwith one or more orifices 12j, preferably two, located near its upperextremity, one on each side. The part 12c of the float surrounds andprojects above the cylindrical part Si. Both parts of the float are openat the bottom.

The outer part surrounds the cylindrical part' 8", attached to the base.The part 12a of the oat is provided with openings 12m, located near itsbase or lower extremity.

The operation of my improved air-valve will now be described.

Assuming that the pipes and radiators composing the system, as Well asthe air-valve shell, are free from Water and steam and full of air, theoperation of the valve is as fol-I the pressure Within and Without thefloat is equal, and the latter remains on the bottom of the shell, thevalve-pin 12d being unseated to allow the air perfect freedom of escapefrom the shell by Way of the passage 6 in the plug 6 and the opening7""d in the cap 7. As soon as the air has been driven out of theradiator in the manner described the steam enters the radiator andvcondensation immediately commences.` This Water of condensation iscarried upward by the steam anda quantity thereof forced into thevalve-shell by Way of the passage 8d. As this water rises in the shellabove the apertures 8 and 12m the air is entrapped Within the floatbetween f the water and the diaphragm 12E of the cylindrical part 12a ofthe float. Hence the pressure of the water on this entrapped air raisesthe float and seats the valve-pin 12d, preventing the escape of eitherwater or steam. However if the conditionsare such that the air isentirely expelled from the float below the diaphragm the air-chamber 12xof the float will insure positive and continuous seating of the valve12d as the Water rises in the casing above the plane of the diaphragm.Hence this air-chamber 12X is a positive safeguard against the escape ofWater from the shell 5 under conditions which would entirely expel theair from the theoretical air-chamber of the construction covered by theaforesaid application. The valve-pin having been seated, as justexplained, the steam enters the valveshell outside of the float by wayof the passage 8g, the tube 8i, the part 12c of the oat, and theorifices 12J'. The air is now accumulating in the top of the shelloutside of the float, and as the shell, togetherwith the tubes 12c and85, ill with air, the pressure in the valve becomes the same as thepressure in the radiator, since the steam from the radiator is broughtin direct contact with the air in the tube 8J'. Hence the water passesout of the shell by its own pressure by Way of the oriiices 12m and 8mand the passage 8d into the radiator. The iioat then falls, allowing theair to escape from the valve in the manner heretofore eX- plained. Thesteam then enters the valve or shell through both passages 8d and Elgbut the steam condenses on the outside of the float and within the shell5 faster than Within the cylindrical portion 12L of the iioat. Hence thepressure is greater on the inside of the float than above and around theoat on the inside of the case or shell, the result being that the floatis raised and the valvepin 12d again seated. The Water of condensationnow begins to accumulate in the shell, but the steam, entering the valveor shell by Way of the passage 8, prevents the Water from owing backinto the radiator, as the passage 8d is too small to allow the steam andWater to pass therethrough simultaneously. Hence the lioat `Will remainin the raised position and hold the valve-pin seated until the airagainaccumulates in the shell, the part 12C of the float, and the tube 8J'.The steam then comes again in direct contact With the air, and thepressure in the valve becomes the IOO IIO

f IO

597,666 Y Si same as that within the radiator, and the Water again flowsfrom the shell back intothe radiator, the float falls, and the air againescapes from the shell in the same manner as heretofore explained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A oat for use'in valves, comprising two tubes, one inelosed within the other andconnected by two separated diaphragme, which iorm an air-tight chamber,both tubes being open at the bottom, and the outer tube having anorifice in the lower part of its Wall and being closed at the top by theupper diaphragm, the inner tube projecting above the upper diaphragm andhaving an orifice in its upper portion which is provided with a valve.

2. In a valve of the character described, the combination with the basehaving two passages communicating with the radiator, of thevalve-chamber having an outlet at the top thereof, and an inlet-tubecommunicating with one of said passages, said tube projecting upwardlyand opening into the said chamber a .suitable distance above its base,the

outer Walls of said inlet-tube and the inner walls of the valve-chamberforming sides voi' a basin adapted to hold liquid and communicating Withthe other passage in the base, a partition surrounding said inlet-tubeand dividing said base into two separate liquidchambers, a floatconsisting of two inverted chambers inclosed one Within the other, bothbeing open at the bottom and connected by two separated diaphragmsforming an airtight chamber, the upper diaphragm closing the top of theouter chamber which has one or more oriees near its bottom, the innerchamber of the float having an orifice in its upper portion, the Wallsof said iioat-chainber penetrating into said liquid-chambers, and avalve operated by said float and inclosing the said air-outlet when theiioat rises.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SALWIUEL C. ARNOLD. W'itnesses:

G. J. RoLLANDnT, ALFRED J. OBRIEN.

